# Discouraging squirrels from bird food **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646 "2015-04-02T19:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/1 "2015-04-02T19:14:45Z")
I put food out for the birds, but the squirrels take a lot of it. I’ve got squirrel proof feeders for most of the stuff I put out, but I like to scatter seeds in an open tray, and I’m finding that’s what the squirrels come for. I can’t really squirrel-proof the tray for space reasons (wherever I put it, they’d be able to jump from the fence or a bush). I heard on the radio today that putting chilli powder in with the seeds with discourage the squirrels, but that the birds can’t taste it. Is this true and worth trying? I’m also willing to listen to any other methods people may have. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/2 "2015-04-02T20:33:27Z")
> [@Teuton](#): > > I heard on the radio today that putting chilli powder in with the seeds with discourage the squirrels, but that the birds can’t taste it. Is this true and worth trying? It is true that birds can’t taste capsaicin (the chemical that gives chili peppers their “hotness”). In fact, this is hypothesized to be the reason chili peppers evolved capsaisin in the first place – their seeds are spread well by birds, but mammals tend to destroy the seeds by chewing them, so tasting bad to mammals and not to birds was an advantage. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/3 "2015-04-03T00:14:01Z")
All the friends I know that feed birds say that there isn’t any really effective way of preventing squirrels from eating also – it’s a hopeless task. So they just resign themself to feeding them too. Best they can do is make places where the birds get first chance at the feed, and then the squirrels get what birds kick off the feeding tray (which birds tend to do). Besides, squirrels are nice creatures, too. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/4 "2015-04-03T01:23:28Z")
Whatever you do, make sure to get those bird feeder hangers which look like traditional shepard’s crooks. They’re about 5 or 6 feet tall. Nothing more fun than watching the squirrels shinny right up those things and hang inverted off the bird feeder while chowing down. And laughing all the while at the silly humans’ pitiful attempts to spoil their meal. My old neighbor invested a lot of time and money in trying to feed the birds; she was much more successful at feeding squirrels. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/5 "2015-04-03T01:33:34Z")
Yes, get the shepard’s crook and then go one step further: [Defeating a squirrel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9-rE5RBZvU&list=PLD2F70A11BD3C3FE4&index=125) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/6 "2015-04-03T02:38:45Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > It is true that birds can’t taste capsaicin (the chemical that gives chili peppers their “hotness”). In fact, this is hypothesized to be the reason chili peppers evolved capsaisin in the first place – their seeds are spread well by birds, but mammals tend to destroy the seeds by chewing them, so tasting bad to mammals and not to birds was an advantage. Don’t know how well it works, but [Amazon sells this.](http://www.amazon.com/Coles-Wild-Bird-Products-FS08/dp/B00416S4YS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1428028511&sr=8-2&keywords=spicy+bird+seed) Even if it doesn’t work its worth it just for the label _!!_ ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/7 "2015-04-03T04:04:14Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Besides, squirrels are nice creatures, too. That’s what I was thinking. What’s the OP’s beef with squirrels? They’re super cute. My take: Congratulations, you now have a squirrel feeder. Just double up on the amount of food you put out, if it’s not enough to go around. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/8 "2015-04-03T04:58:05Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > That’s what I was thinking. What’s the OP’s beef with squirrels? They’re super cute. > > My take: Congratulations, you now have a squirrel feeder. Just double up on the amount of food you put out, if it’s not enough to go around. Well, I assume its because not only do squirrels eat many times the amount of seed that birds do, they’ll defend a feeder and keep birds away from it. Which kinda defeats the whole point (i.e. bird watching). And one person’s ‘cute’ is easily another person’s 'big fluffy tailed rat\*!!\*" 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/9 "2015-04-03T08:51:11Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > My take: Congratulations, you now have a squirrel feeder. Just double up on the amount of food you put out, if it’s not enough to go around. I don’t want a squirrel feeder. They’re just rats with good PR. If I upped the amount of food I put out, I would just be feeding the squirrels more. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. It does look like it’s worth a go, at least, and won’t keep the birds off. I can’t grease the poles, as they don’t use the poles to get onto the tray. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/10 "2015-04-03T11:38:32Z")
I’ve never understood this, why do some people \*object \*to feeding squirrels? Squirrels are more fun to feed than sparrows. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/11 "2015-04-03T13:34:48Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I’ve never understood this, why do some people \*object \*to feeding squirrels? Squirrels are more fun to feed than sparrows. Because they are greedy, and eat all the food I put out. I put the food out to attract birds. Hopefully, to attract birds that you don’t see often - the idea isn’t really just to feed sparrows (I don’t actually see sparrows on my feeders, so that would be nice.). And when I get some nice birds in the garden, I can take [some](http://fav.me/d8disdo) [nice](https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/t31.0-8/10917212_10153248466882289_565564910747605721_o.jpg) [photos.](https://scontent-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/10926807_10153248466952289_7793410197114140707_o.jpg) Of course, I can take photos of the squirrels too (and I have done), but they really do take a lot of the food and keep the birds away. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/12 "2015-04-03T14:38:17Z")
Try putting only safflower seeds in the ground feeder – most squirrels don’t eat it. In the “if you can’t beat them” category, putting out a squirrel feeder as far from the bird feeder as possible and filling it with cheap corn might help. Corn is under $10 for a 50 pound bag at a feed store or local Tractor Supply … but that might also attract crows, grackles, skunks, raccoons, deer, bears, etc., depending on where you live. Personally, I gave up on ground feeders and use only hanging Squirrel Buster feeders. I usually fill them with safflower seeds because sparrows generally don’t like them. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/13 "2015-04-03T16:57:46Z")
Here’s what we do. Set up a squirrel feeder with lots of really cheap stuff that squirrels like, some distance away form the bird feeder. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/14 "2015-04-03T17:19:32Z")
American Grey Squirrels are vermin over here. There used to be a bounty on squirrel tails at one time, but they breed too fast to get eradicated. They are bigger and stronger than our cute native Red Squirrels which are now endangered and only survive in isolated spots like The Isle of Wight. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/15 "2015-04-03T17:41:29Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I’ve never understood this, why do some people \*object \*to feeding squirrels? Squirrels are more fun to feed than sparrows. It get very expensive. I feed my birds hulled sunflower seed because it draws a large variety of birds. But the stuff isn’t cheap, and the squirrels can easily eat 10 dollars worth a day. With just birds, the same amount would last a week. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/16 "2015-04-03T22:19:20Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Don’t know how well it works, but [Amazon sells this.](http://www.amazon.com/Coles-Wild-Bird-Products-FS08/dp/B00416S4YS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1428028511&sr=8-2&keywords=spicy+bird+seed) Even if it doesn’t work its worth it just for the label _!!_ It smells potent, but it doesn’t discourage the squirrels for very long. A few of the neighborhood squirrels even seem to have developed a tolerance for it. On the flip side, I’ve noticed that sunflower seed treated with this stuff tends to attract a wider variety of birds to the feeder…goldfinches in particular seem to be drawn to the stuff. Yes, the squirrels are cute…unless they’re fighting. They’re also filthy. ---
**Author:** ![Rezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@Rezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rezer)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/17 "2015-04-03T23:08:15Z")
What you want specifically is cayenne pepper…dirt cheap and if you mix in enough of it even the most desperate squirrel will consider it inedible. Birds have no capsaicin receptors, so it has absolutely no effect on them. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/18 "2015-04-03T23:33:13Z")
I like squirrels. But the damn birds keep eating all the squirrel food. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/19 "2015-04-04T02:04:04Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > It get very expensive. I feed my birds hulled sunflower seed because it draws a large variety of birds. But the stuff isn’t cheap, and the squirrels can easily eat 10 dollars worth a day. With just birds, the same amount would last a week. Like Turble & I suggested, buy some cheap corn, you can get a 50# bag cheaply. The rodents will grab the corn, leaving the seeds, esp if you make the corn easy to get to. Also raw peanuts. Birds will eat both, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2015, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646/20 "2015-04-04T10:59:50Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > American Grey Squirrels are vermin over here. There used to be a bounty on squirrel tails at one time, but they breed too fast to get eradicated. > > They are bigger and stronger than our cute native Red Squirrels which are now endangered and only survive in isolated spots like The Isle of Wight. On the whole – apart from some isolated spots, as mentioned – red squirrels hang on in their greatest numbers, in the more northerly parts of Great Britain: some of which, grey squirrels have not yet reached. There are reckoned to be some 120,000 red squirrels in Scotland – making three-quarters of the population of the species in Great Britain. Also, some 40,000 red squirrels in Ireland, chiefly in the more westerly parts. Whilst grey squirrels in the British Isles are counted in the millions. I saw a reference somewhere, to an ingenious squirrel-feeding device invented by someone concerned with red-squirrel conservation. The mechanism was rigged somehow, to make use of red squirrels being smaller and lighter than greys: the reds could get at the food, but the greys were thwarted from doing so. I looked on Google hoping to find out more, but had no luck. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discouraging-squirrels-from-bird-food/716646.md?page=2)